The Tears of Denial
by dramaqueen2061
Summary: There has been a tragedy in the Pataki family. Can one football shaped boy teach Helga it's okay to cry? One-shot. Read and Review!


Helga was at home when it happened. She was upstairs in her room, spread out across her bed, grasping to the locket that was so familiar to her. She stuck her arms into the air, her dark eyes looking at the picture as a whole first. A smile grew across her face as her eyes darted to the smirk across his face. The smirk that she couldn't look away from each day.

Helga's smile quickly faded. The sound was so unfamiliar. It was like the whole world suddenly stopped, and all she could hear was the muffled cries of her father. Bob was actually crying? Helga first assumed it was over something stupid, like his favorite football team losing, or something happening to his beepers.

After a few moments, Helga changed her mind. The cries were so passionate, so emotional is scared Helga. It terrified her. She immediately exited her room, leaving her golden locket placed ever so gently on her bed. When she reached the source of the muffled cries, Bob was hanging up the phone, and quickly reaching for his coat. he turned and caught a look at Helga. "Helga," He said. Helga's eyes widened. He didn't call her Olga, he called her Helga. She almost found a need to correct him, and she pressed her lips together to avoid it. He stuck out his arms, pulling her in tightly. What was going on?

His cheeks pressed against hers, his salty tears wetting Helga's cheeks. "You mother's been in accident, but everything's going to be fine." He let go, turning around and making his way to the door. "I'll bring her home and then we will all go out for Ice cream." He opened the door, the cold winter wind escaping him.

Helga stood there motionless after he closed the door. She couldn't move. Bob certainly never acted like that. She could feel herself trembling as she reached up her hand, and felt the wetness of her cheek. Bob…crying? Helga blinked a few times, and then retreated to her room, to continue looking at her locket.

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Bob didn't come home that night. The phone did ring a few times, but Helga never retreated from her room. She spent all night writing a new poem about Arnold. It was complete genius, and she didn't want to be interrupted. Soon she was to tired to continue writing, and she had to rest.

Helga woke up to a familiar morning. She didn't even remember the strange moments that happened the previous day. She dressed normally, brushed her hair normally, and worshiped Arnold as normal. She suspected Bob to be sleeping on the couch when she came down stairs, and she expected Miriam to be sleeping in the kitchen, drooling on the marble counter, and her lunch unprepared.

"Miriam!" Helga screeched as she stepped off the final step of the stairs. She stopped in her place when she saw Bob, sitting at the kitchen table, his face tear stained. "Dad?"

His eyes slowly turned to her. Her eyes widened. "I called your teacher, and told him you wouldn't be at school today." He looked away.

"Why wouldn't I go to school?"

Bob blinked. "Your mother…died in that accident yesterday." He dropped his head to the table.

Helga's eyes widened. She could feel herself begin to tremble, and her lips quivered. She picked up her hand and covered her mouth. "W-what?" She quickly snapped out of her trance and dropped her hand. "I'm still going to school." She turned around and searched the kitchen. She eventually filled her lunchbox with some dry cereal and a can of spray cheese. She glanced to Bob, who hadn't moved from his position before leaving for the bus.

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"What are you looking at, geek bate?" Helga questioned harshly to a boy staring at her in the hall as she walked by. "Move it, Loser." She pushed another boy out of her way. Her eyes flickered to Rhonda in the hall, staring at her. Her eyes then flickered to Stinky, who was staring at her almost identically to Rhonda.

She noticed Phoebe and walked over to her. "What is everyone looking at?" Helga asked, looking around. Phoebe didn't say anything. "Phoebe?" Phoebe then strangely hugged Helga. "What's the heck is going on?"

"Hey, Helga?" A voice came from behind her. She automatically knew who it was. She turned around, Phoebe still attached to her. Arnold stood there, a sad look in his eyes. "I'm so sorry. Is there anything I can do?"

Helga swallowed. She suddenly knew what everyone was talking about. She contemplated what she should say. Her lips quivered and her eyes flickered from person to person. "Yea," She paused. "You can leave me alone, Football head!" She broke apart from Phoebe immediately, and stomped her way to Mr. Simmons room.

Mr. Simmons was obviously surprised to see Helga. He asked her is she was okay, and things like that. Couldn't they just leave her alone? Class was boring as usual, and instead of usually drawing pictures of Arnold, or shooting spit wads at him, she stared blankly in front of him, at the back of the head that belonged to Pea pod kid. She could feels eyes on her the entire time.

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Helga hurried home after school. She just wanted to go home, were no one would bother her. "Miria-" She stopped herself when she entered the kitchen, a sudden feeling of unfamiliar coming over her. Miriam didn't sit in a chair, half asleep and drooling all over herself. Helga suddenly felt a large hand being placed of her left shoulder. She assumed it was her father's, since no one else lived in the house.

"Olga's on her way from Alaska." He said quietly. "She'll be here tomorrow." Helga suddenly felt so empty inside. She suddenly felt like she wanted to cry, but she told herself that there was no reason to. She shut her eyes tight, as her father talked about going to the hospital. She told herself it didn't matter. Her mother never noticed her anyway, it was always like she wasn't there anyway.

"Lets get in the car." Bob said.

"No," She said flatly. "I have homework."

"Honey," Bob turned to her. Helga's eyes widened. He had never called her that before. "It's okay to be sad."

"Dad," She headed for the den. "I'm fine." Bob sighed, and after a few minutes he left. Helga stood in front of the couch, her eyes wide. Her mouth hung open as she pictured her mother sleeping on the couch, just like she had been a few days ago. She blinked. Helga needed to get away, she need to go somewhere else.

It was cold outside. Helga ran fast down the side walk, not exactly sure where she was going. She ran fast, her breathing getting heavier and heavier. There weren't many people outside, but she did almost collide with a cyclist. She cold air it her pale face hard, and she squinted her eyes. She wasn't going to cry…She wasn't going to cry.

She finally stopped near a bridge, cuddling against a stop sign of the corner. She tucked her knees into her chest, and watched emotionlessly as the grass struggled to stay planted into the ground. She looked ahead of her, where the crystal clear water under the bridge swirled and swished.

She shut her eyes. She just wished everything would go away, that she could just be alone for a minute, that she could just think straight.

"Helga?"

Helga immediately opened her eyes wide. She didn't dare look behind her, instead she looked again at the grass, lush and green.

"Are you okay?"

She didn't look away. "What do you want, Football head?" She heard him walk a few steps forward, and she caught a glance at his black shoes.

"Well, I…Um… are you okay?" He repeated the question,

"Yea, Why wouldn't I be? Now get lost!" She finally looked up at Arnold, who was taking off his bike helmet, his blonde locks flopping up, and putting down his bike to the side walk, which was a sign he wasn't leaving anytime soon.

"You know," He said, taking a seat next to her. "I know who you feel." Helga thought about it for a moment. He was right, He did know who she feels. "And," He continued. "It's okay to cry."

"Why would I cry?" She sharply turned to him. "My mom never noticed me anyway! It was like she was dead most of the time."

"Helga," Arnold said it so warmly, with so much compassion. "Your mom loved you, and you loved her."

"How would you know?" She looked away, her blonde hair swiftly moving in front of Arnold's face. She could feel his gaze on her, and she could feel his warm smile.

Helga's thought's were so mixed up right now. She couldn't think straight. She begged herself not to cry, especially in front of the one person she was the meanest to, not to mention completely in love with. He didn't speak after that, but she could feel his smile fade.

"It's okay," He finally said, his voice warm. "You don't have to act like such a stone. I know your not really has mean and rude as you act."

Helga looked at Arnold through the corners of her eyes. Why did he have to be so smart? The entire world stopped for a moment. The freezing wind seized, the tearing grass paused, it was just her and Arnold, sitting there next to each other. Helga then realized she was holding her breath. She let it out, and she could feel the tears form in the very corners of her eyes. Maybe it would be okay to cry. Arnold would understand.

She finally turned to him, pearls of liquid beginning to fall down her face. Arnold's eyes widened a bit, he didn't actually think she would cry. His look then softened.

Helga wasn't thinking. She never thought she would do what she just did. She covered her eyes with her pale hands and her head fell into Arnold lap. Arnold at first was surprised, backing away, but then he smiled. She could feel his warm hand run through the back of her head, over and over again. "It's okay to cry."

They sat there for a moment, only the sounds of Helga's tears filling the air. Soon, she realized what she was doing, and quickly sat up. He grinned at her, that same grin like in the picture in Helga's locket. She quickly wiped away her tears and stood up, Arnold following. She softened out her magenta colored dress and looked over at Arnold.

"Why are you out without a jacket?" He asked, taking off his dark colored jacket and handing it to Helga. She hesitated at first, but finally took it, both there fingertips barely touching each other. "So where are you headed now?"

"Um…The hospital." She sniffed. "My dad's there."

"Oh." He grinned again. "Why don't I walk you there?"

She looked at him for a moment, half surprised. Then she blinked, and she wiped her eyes once more.

"Sure, football head."

**A/N: Hey! This is my first Hey arnold fan fiction, and I like it alot! I hope you guys enjoyed it too! Please read and Review! **


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